Dhaka Medical College Hospital saw an unusual clash between doctors and employees yesterday, which virtually brought the hospital to a virtual standstill for more than four hours.

Some patients who were undergoing treatment at the hospital, after hearing the announcement of an indefinite strike by the doctors, left the hospital.

However, work abstention by the doctors continued only till late afternoon. Doctors at the emergency and casualty wards returned to work after a few hours. But normalcy was yet to be restored in all the wards till the writing of this report at 8:30pm.

 Witnesses said the clash ensued when a gateman stopped some visitors who had reportedly gone to meet Dr Monwar Hossain, a physician of the surgery unit, when the DMCH’s director, Brigadier General Sarker M Matin, was visiting the hospital at around 11:15am.

Dr Monwar, after hearing that his guests were not being allowed to enter the hospital, went to the gate and asked gateman Abdur Rahman to allow the visitors to go in, but Rahman declined to do so and allegedly used abusive words.

An enraged Dr Monwar showed his identity card, but the gatekeeper continued to argue, and the doctor slapped the gateman, after which a group of employees confined the doctor and beat him up badly.

Soon after the incident, some other employees rushed to the spot and also assaulted him. The fourth class employees also started to beat up the on-duty doctors indiscriminately in the different wards of the hospital.

Later, a group of doctors went to senior ward master Abul Hossain’s room on the ground-floor of the hospital where they again came under attack by the employees. The clash was stopped by the authoritative intervention.

‘Abdur Rahman ill-treated my relatives and even misbehaved with me although I am well known to him,’ Dr Monwar told a leading English daily.

‘I was strictly prohibited to allow anyone to enter the hospital by the higher authorities during the visit of the director,’ Abdur Rahman told newsmen.

Dr Monwar, Dr Maruf, Dr Zahid Hossain, and ward master Abul Hossain sustained severe injuries during the clash.

Agitated employees confined Dr Monwar, Dr Zahid and Dr Maruf in the hospital director’s room and chanted slogans against the doctors. Later the hospital authorities intervened to free them.

The doctors have announced an indefinite strike from Thursday noon, demanding punishment of the employees responsible for the incident.

The doctors also submitted a memorandum to the concerned authority for ensuring their security while working in the hospital, and at the same time to transfer third and fourth class employees who were reportedly maintaining an illegal syndicate.

The hospital authorities tried to broker an understanding between the doctors and employees, but medical services were not restored until 3:30pm.

The doctors began working after the director and the higher authorities, at around 4:30pm, assured them of proper investigation and punishment of the concerned employees. A four-member investigation committee was formed to probe the incident, but the names of the committee members were not announced.

The director of the hospital did not make any comments on the clash. When a group of newsmen tried to enter his room, he himself pushed them out.

 

© The Bangladesh Journal